Greenwich, London.

In 1992 I conceived the idea of a laser originating at the Greenwich Observatory designating the meridian line which crosses the Thames three times.

I worked with artist/architect, Peter Fink, to realise the project and the laser was switched on with a huge event of numerous vessels, over 100 musicians, projections, the Thames fire brigade boat with spraying hoses and a lightning machine used in feature films to simulate storms, as well as a remote control model helicopter spewing smoke into the laser. 

 The projection surfaces included the power station façade on the South Bank, the fine spray from the fireboat and the sails of yachts from the Greenwich sailing club. There were several other barges with various events including one with 20’ high poles covered in paraffin impregnated cloth set alight as it floated across.

The event began with a lone Scottish piper on a boat crossing the line from West to East and the Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band, a Hindu bagpipe band of around 30 members dressed in full Scottish regalia crossing from East to West followed by 60 trombonists conducted by Alan Tomlinson
and a boat full of drummers conducted by Paul Burwell.

The laser is now a permanent work seen every evening from the Greenwich Observatory.

vimeo link to come